Yeshivah Gedolah of Johannesburg

{{Short description|Yeshivah in Johannesburg, South Africa}}{{Distinguish|Lubavitch Yeshiva Gedolah of Johannesburg}} thumb|upright|Rabbi Azriel Goldfein, founder of Yeshivah Gedolah of Johannesburg

'''Yeshivah Gedolah of Johannesburg''' was one of the first Yeshivot established in South Africa.<ref>{{cite news|last=Slier|first=Lionel|title=A sad farewell to Rabbi Azriel Goldfein|url=http://www.sajewishreport.co.za/pdf/2007/nov/30-november-2007.pdf#page=14|access-date=10 September 2012|newspaper=South African Jewish Report|date=30 November 2007|pages=14–15}}{{Dead link|date=January 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> Since its founding in 1978, it has played an important - though understated - role in the South African religious community.<ref name="Goldstein">{{cite news|last=Goldstein|first=Warren|author-link=Warren_Goldstein|title=Rabbi Azriel Goldfein - teacher, mentor, rabbi|url=http://www.sajewishreport.co.za/pdf/2007/dec/7-december-2007.pdf#page=7|access-date=10 September 2012|newspaper=South African Jewish Report|date=7 December 2007|page=7|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was established and headed by Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Azriel Goldfein until his death in 2007, and is now headed by his sons Rabbi Avraham and Rabbi David Goldfein. It is based in Glenhazel, Johannesburg. It accommodates students from across the spectrum of Orthodoxy. The Hirsch Lyons Primary and High Schools are associated with the Yeshivah.

Rabbi Goldfein studied in Telz Yeshiva, under great rabbis who survived the Holocaust, and was a lifelong ''talmid muvhak'' (prominent student) of Rabbi Mordechai Gifter.<ref name="Rudomin">{{cite news|last=Rudomin|first=Yitschok|title=Harav Azriel Goldfein, ''z"tl'': South Africa's Rosh Yeshivah|newspaper=Hamodia|date=12 December 2007|page=C26}}</ref> During this time, he developed a "love of and profound knowledge of" the writings of the Maharal of Prague. With his wife Clarice Goldfein, he came to South Africa from the United States in 1972, "with a mission to establish an authentic, world-class yeshiva... for the training of South African rabbis for South Africa",<ref name="Goldstein"/> and "Yeshivah Gedolah" was established the next year, originally based at the Yeshiva College of South Africa.

Rabbi Avraham Goldfein studied at Telz in Cleveland for four years. In addition to studying at the Yeshivah Gedolah under his father, where he received ''semichah'' (ordination) he also studied at ''Yeshivas Netzach Yisroel'' in Israel. Rabbi David Goldfein completed his schooling through correspondence and learnt under his father from the age of 15.

The Yeshivah's ''derech'' (educational model) is built on two main approaches. Primarily, the Yeshivah follows the "Telshe ''derech''", stressing ''Mussar'' (Ethics) and ''Derech Eretz'' (character and behaviour) alongside Talmud study.<ref>“This ''derech'' is manifest in both the Talmudic ''lomdus'' (scholarship) and ''derech avoda'' (practice) in ''Machashava'' ("Jewish thought") and Mussar practiced in the Lithuanian Telshe… a system unified and consistent across all areas of thought, analysis and endeavor.” Rabbi Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer, ][http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/telz/telshe.html 120 Years Since the Founding of the Yeshiva].</ref> Secondly, and in complementary fashion, the ''derech'' of the Maharal<ref name=Hartman>{{cite web|last=Hartman|first=Yehoshua|title=The Maharal: His Approach, His Innovations and His Position as a Teacher of Posterity|url=http://www.ou.org/jewish_action/08/2009/the_maharal_his_approach_his_innovations_and_his_position_as_a_teacher_of_p/|work=Jewish Action|publisher=Orthodox Union|access-date=12 October 2013}}</ref> influences the Yeshivah's approach to learning, and more particularly, its ''Hashkafa'' ("worldview"). Additional to these, there is a further and direct link to the Lithuanian yeshivas: In the 1980s, Rabbi Jacob Symanowitz<ref>See Leon Feldberg, Editor. (1965).''South African Jewry: A Survey of the Jewish Community, Its Contributions to South Africa, Directory of Communal Institutions, and Who's who of Leading Personalities''. Fieldhill Publishing Company.</ref> of the Johannesburg Beth Din, taught the ''shiur'' ("lecture") in ''Yoreh Deah'', including to the current ''Roshei Yeshiva'', who subsequently studied with him for several years. He, in turn, had studied in Yeshiva Ohel Torah-Baranovich under Elchonon Wasserman, as well as in Mir and Slabodka and received ''semichah'' - ''Yadin Yadin'' - from Meyer Abovitz.

Yeshivah Gedolah is known for its "uncomplicated approach to learning"<ref name="Memoriam">[http://www.tributetorabbigoldfein.co.za/Files/Doc/In%20memorium.pdf Memorial article] {{dead link|date=September 2012}}</ref> — continuing that of Telz, and consistent with the Maharal's approach to Torah study, as well as that of Baranovich — and for its high standards<ref>[http://www.rabbis.org/pdfs/ApprovedYeshivot.pdf Rabbinical Council of America List of Approved Yeshivot]</ref> and thorough semichah programme, requiring that graduates "be ''talmidei chachamim'' and not just religious functionaries".<ref name="Memoriam" /> The Yeshiva has trained dozens of South African rabbis, including Chief Rabbi Dr. Warren Goldstein. More than 50 shuls, 20 communal organisations and virtually all of South Africa's Jewish day schools have been served by its alumni.<ref name="Goldstein" />

The yeshiva also provides learning opportunities and resources to the community. Over the decades, Rabbi Goldfein gave thousands of public lectures, including the very popular weekly ''Parashat ha-Shavua'' ''shiur'', more than 1000 of which were recorded and are widely distributed. A documentary film, Bridging Worlds: The Life and Teachings of Rav Azriel Chaim Goldfein was produced in 2014.

==External links== *[http://ygj.co.za/ Official website] *{{IMDb title | 4096682 | Bridging Worlds: The Life and Teachings of Rav Azriel Chaim Goldfein }} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080325141456/http://www.tributetorabbigoldfein.co.za/ Tributes to Rabbi Goldfein] *[https://jewishphotolibrary.smugmug.com/AFRICA/AFRICASouth/SOUTHAFRICA/Gauteng/ZAJoburgYeshivaGedolah photo library] *[http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/43458/shiurim-from-rabbi-azriel-chaim-goldfein-zatzal Links to audio files of Rabbi Goldfein's Shiurim] *[http://hirschlyons.org.za/ Hirsch Lyons Schools website]

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Jews and Judaism in Johannesburg Category:Orthodox yeshivas in South Africa Category:Education in Johannesburg